Knockdown extension dining-table.



C. J. BROWN.

KNOCKDOWN EXTENSION DINING TABLE.

APPUCATION FILED JAN. 31, 1910.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

a 4 r I QMM i6 NORRIS'PETERS CO., PHOTVD'LITHQ. WASHINGTUN. D. C

' C. J. BROWN.

KNOCKDOWN EXTENSION DINING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1910.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NoRkls PETERS C0.v PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTONv D.

GHARLES J. BROWN, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

KNGGKDOWN EXTENSION DINING-TABLE.

asses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June as, rare.

Application filed January 31, 1910. Serial No. 540,992.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. BROWN, of Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Knockdown Extension Dining-Tables, of which thefollowing is a specificatlon.

This invention has relation to extenslon dining tables which areprovided with a pedestal and with a top made in separable sections toreceive between them one or more removable intermediate leaves, and ithas for its object to provide, first, for the total separation of thetop sections from the pedestal, and, second, for limiting the separatingmovement of the top sectlons so as to locate said sections accurately indilferent positions with respect to the pedestal to receive between themone or more intermedlate leaves.

In carrying out the present invention, I employ a pedestal which 1ssubstant1ally 1ntegral, c'. e. is not formed in separable sections, anda permanent top which consists of two sections slidably connected to thepedestal so as to be separable therefrom. The top sections are movablewith respect to the pedestal toward and from each other, being connectedto the pedestal by telescoplc sup ports comprising guides permanentlyattached to the pedestal and slides permanently attached to the undersides of the top sections. The slides and guides are provided withcoacting stops which serve to limit the distance of separation of thetop sections and to locate them in difierent predetermined positionswith respect to the pedestal, so that the entire top-augmented byadditional leaves-will be centered with the pedestal. The said tops arefurther so positioned with respect to the table-top sections that theyare rendered accessible for operation when the top sections areseparated a short distance.

On the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 represents in plan view a tableembodying the invention, one set of slides being shown in section toillustrate the spring stop pins. Fig. 2 represents a verticallongitudinal section of the table. Fig. 3 represents a cross sectionthrough the table top.

Referring to the drawings, the table is represented as consisting of apedestal 10,

which may be of any desired configuration, and which has supporting feet11. The pedestal consists of a single unitary non-separable structure,and to the top thereof are secured by screws or other permanentfastenings the plates or blocks 12 which are let into sockets as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. Extending transversely of the table across the top ofthe pedestal are secured the parallel cross bars 13 13 which areattached by permanent fastenings to the upper end of the pedestal and tothe blocks 12 12. The pedestal blocks and cross bar thus form apermanent support for the table top.

The table top consists of two sections 14 15 which, when contracted,form either a square, or a circle as shown in Fig. 1, but which may bemoved apart or separated to receive one or more additional leaves andthus extend the table. The top sections are movable not only withrespect to each other but also with respect to the pedestal, and theyare detachably connected to the pedestal by telescopic supports whichenable them to be separated far enough apart so as to completelydisengage themfrom the pedestal. The telescopic supports compriseparallel guides 16 16, which are permanently secured upon and across theend portions of the cross bars 13 so as to extend longitudinally of thetable, and slides 17 17 18 18 attached to the under sides of thesections 15 1 1 respectively by permanent fastenings such as screws.Each of the said guides is formed with dove-tail grooves on its sidesextending from end to end thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The slidesare formed with complemental tongues, the slides 17 17 being locatedbetween the guides, and the slides 18 18 engaging the outer sides ofsaid guides. The guides and slides lack the usual limiting stops withwhich extension table slides have heretofore been uniformly provided toprevent the disconnection of the several slides. They are, however,provided with limiting stops which may be manipulated so as to permitthe separation of the top sections and slides from the pedestal andguides. These manually operable stops may be made in any convenient wayand possess any desirable construction, but, for the sake of simplicityand ease of operation I preferably employ spring-pressed pins extendingthrough the slides and adapted to engage stop shoulders formed on theguides. As shown in Fig. 1, each stop pin 19 is passed laterally throughan aperture in the slide, and has a beveled end which is forced by aspring 20 to engage stop shoulders formed by making notches in the sidesof the adjacent guide. The springs are held in place by cover plates orescutcheons 21, and the pins have heads by which they may be grasped towithdraw them from engagement with the stop shoulders. The stop pins inthe slides 17 1'. have their heads on the inner sides of said slides,and those on the slides 18 18 have their heads on the outer sidesthereof.

It will be noticed, by an examination of Fig. 1, that the stop pinscarried by the several slides are located on the portions thereof whichproject beyond the straight or inner edges of the top sections to whichsaid slides are respectively attached, and are also located adjacentsaid inner edges, so that a slight opening movement of said sectionswill expose the stop pins for manipulation, and hence it is notnecessary to reach from the sides underneath the top sections to operatesaid stop pins. v

For coaction with each stop pin are preferably two or more stopshoulders (two only being shown) as indicated at 22 23. The stopshoulders 22 are all located at equal distances from the median verticaltransverse plane of the pedestal, and those on one side of said planeare at a distance from those on the other side, substantially a littlegreater than the width of a single extension leaf, so that, when the topsections are drawn apart, they will be stopped by the engagement of thepins with the shoulder 22 in exact position to receive the extensionleaf between them and will properly balance on both sides of thepedestal. The shoulders 23 are likewise so located that, when the topsections are still further separated (after the stop pins are withdrawnto permit such separation), said top sections will be stopped andpositioned accurately to receive two extension leaves between them. Ofcourse I may provide additional stop shoulders so as to locate the topsections for three or more extension leaves, this depending upon thesize of the table and the length of the slides and guides.

The stop shoulders are preferably formed by a beveled face terminatingin an abrupt shoulder, and these bevel faces coeperate with the beveledend of the pins 19 to permit the top sections to move toward each otherwithout interruption. A separating movement of the top sections islimited, however, by the pins coming in contact with the abrupt portionsforming the shoulders and further separation is prevented until the pinsare withdrawn.

Any convenient locking means may be employed for securing the topsections together when the top is contracted to normal size, I haveshown a lock, consisting of a latch 24 carried by the section 15, andarranged to be engaged with the catch 25 on the under side of the topsection 14 by the operation of a handle 26. This lock need not bedescribed in detail as it is illustrated and explained in the UnitedStates patent to E. L. Marston, No. 935,608, dated September 28, 1909.

The ends of the guides are provided with the usual fixed stop pins ordowels 27, which engage grooves 28 in the outer ends of the guides tolimit the inward movement of the top sections so as to center thecontracted top with respect to the pedestal.

A table having the knock-down co11struction herein described, possessesmarked advantages over those in which the top is permanently connectedto the pedestal by fastenings such as screws and belts, or in which thetelescopic supports are permanently connected to the pedestal and topsections respectively, since I obviate the necessity of a large portionof the storage space which has heretofore been used in show rooms andwarehouses or packing rooms for the reception of tables. The top andpedestal need not be assembled until they are delivered into the room ofthe customer, and hence they take up but little space in cars and vans,and are easily carried or moved up or down stairs. Furthermore, the usermay, by detaching the top, easily move the table through a door from oneroom to the other.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described away of constructing and using the same, although without attempting toset forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modesof its use, what I claim is:

A knock-down pedestal extension table comprising a non-separable orintegral pedestal, parallel supporting bars extending transversely ofthe table and secured to the top of the pedestal, parallel guides eachsecured to said supporting bars and at right angles thereto, the ends ofsaid guides projecting beyond both sides of each supporting bar, saidguides having notches spaced predetermined distances from a verticaltransverse plane in the center of the pedestal, a table top formed oftwo separable sections, parallel slides carried by each section,

the slides of one top section being engaged with and guided by the innerfaces of said guides, and the slides of the other top section beingengaged with and guided by the outer faces of said guides, when thetable is assembled, automatically operated stops carried by said slidesand adapted to en age said notches to muse said top sections to be Intestimony whereof I have aflixed my located at the same distance fromthe said signature, in presence of two Witnesses. plane, said stopsbeing movable to permit the CHARLES J. BROWN. total separation of saidtop sections and Witnesses:

5 their slides from the pedestal and the guides MARCUS B. MAY,

thereon. P. W. PEzzE'r'rI.

fioples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byMares-ting the Commissioner of lPatente, Waehinmon, D. 0.

